Midnight
by divergent-little-tribute
Summary: This is a little one shot I wrote, about how Ezra comforts Aria as she deals with the after effects of killing Shana. I suck at summaries, but please read and review!


_- Set after 5x01 - _**Ezra has been helping Aria deal with the after effects of shooting Shana. They aren't back together yet, but they have become friends again, and whenever they are talking together, it feels like old times. Aria is having trouble dealing with her depression, and she turns to Ezra in her lowest moments. **

※※ **M****idnight ****※※**

It was midnight as she sat in her room, curled up in a little ball as her nightmare replayed in her head on a loop. _Hey Shana… _Tears streamed down her face as she shook slightly, her head buried in her knees. Taking a shaky breath, she fumbled around for her phone, opening her teary eyes, her fingers trembling as she dialed the number she knew all too well.

He picked up after the second ring, his voice filled with concern as he asked, "Aria, are you alright?"

"I can't sleep Ezra," she said, her voice choked with sobs.

"Neither can I," he admit, recalling the past few nights, where he lay in his bed, staring up at his ceiling, unable to sleep without Aria.

Her voice came out sounding broken and shaky as she whispered, "I need you."

It broke his heart to hear her sound so broken, bringing tears to his eyes as he heard the pain in her voice. "I'm coming," he whispered, before she hung up the phone. Hurriedly, he grabbed his coat and threw on his shoes before jogging to his car and speeding down the roads he knew all too well. As he stopped his car outside her house, his phone chimed with a new message. He opened it to see it read _Nobody else is home. _Relieved he wouldn't have to sneak past her family, he made his way to her front door, opening it with the key he always kept with him. He walked up the stairs to her room, knocking softly before opening her door.

"Hey," he whispered, walking over to Aria, who was still curled in a ball on her bed, shaking as tears streaked down her cheeks. "Shh, shh, you're okay," he whispered, crawling on her bed next to her. She uncurled herself slightly so she could lay her head on his chest, closing her eyes as she breathed in his familiar scent. He wrapped his arms around her trembling body, steadying her as she drew a shaky breath.

"Thanks for coming," she mumbled into his chest, her voice hoarse from all the crying.

"Of course I came, Aria. You know there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you, right?"

"I know," she whispered, shifting position so she could look at him. After a few moments of holding each other's gaze, Aria moved down the bed and crawled under the covers. Looking unsure, Ezra moved down and sat at the head of her bed, his hand resting in her hair. "Will you stay with me?" she asked softly, her eyes still brimming with unshed tears. Smiling gently, Ezra crawled under the covers next to her, wrapping his arms around her as she snuggled into his embrace. He rested his chin on her head as she buried her face into his neck, their breathing becoming steady as their heartbeats merged into one.

A few hours later, once they were both fast asleep, wrapped in each other's embrace, Ezra awoke suddenly to footsteps. For a few terrifying moments, he wondered if it was Byron, or worse, A, but relief, as well as confusion, washed over him as Spencer walked into Aria's room.

Upon realizing Ezra was awake, she whispered, "Ezra? What are you doing here?"

"Aria asked me to come over," he whispered, gently rolling Aria over so he could stand up and walk over to Spencer. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on Aria, she's been having some trouble… dealing."

"Yeah I know, that's why she asked me to come… she's still terrified but I think she's doing a little better," Ezra said, shifting his eyes towards her floor as he recounted the image of Aria curled in a ball, shaking from the memories that haunted her day and night.

After an awkward silence, Spencer broke it by saying, "Ezra, come here, I need to show you something." She walked over to Aria's desk, picking up a picture frame and handing it to Ezra. "See that? It's the two of you."

"Yeah, I can see that… what's your point?"

"My point is, it's still on her desk. After everything you did, she still kept it there. That's how much she still loves you, Ezra." He carefully placed it back on the desk as Spencer continued, "Look, Ezra, just because Aria has forgiven you doesn't mean we've forgotten what you did. And if you _ever_ hurt her like that again, if you shatter her heart one more time, you will find yourself back in that hospital, am I clear?"

"I understand," Ezra whispered, his voice betraying the tears Spencer couldn't see in the darkness. As she turned to go, he gently grabbed her arm, turning her to face him. "I love her," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

Softening, Spencer whispered, "I know," before walking out of her room, leaving Aria in Ezra's care.

Ezra quietly crawled back under the covers, snuggling up to Aria, her back pressing into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her so they rested on her stomach. To his surprise, she turned around in his embrace so they were centimeters apart, their noses brushing as their breaths tickled each other's necks.

"I love you too," she whispered, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards into a small smile. He wanted so badly to close the little space between them, capturing her lips with his, but he didn't want to push his limits. She seemed to sense this, and after a few tense seconds she moved her head slightly up, brushing her lips against his. He took the hint, opening his mouth slightly as they shared their first kiss in a long time. As they pulled away, there was a smile etched on both their faces, their foreheads resting together as they brushed their noses in an esksimo kiss.

She leaned back in, recapturing his lips with hers, breathing in his scent as she moved her hands to tangle in his hair. He allowed his fingers to trail from her hair down her back to rest on her waist, drawing her closer as their tongues brushed together. She pulled away for air, her nose resting on his lips before she tilted her head slightly so he could brush his lips back against hers.

A while later they broke apart again, breathing heavily, their chests pressed together as their heads lie next to each other on the pillow, their eyes still closed as their noses brushed together. Eventually they fell asleep like that, their legs intertwined beneath the covers, their chests pressed against each other as their noses lie next to each other, their lips brushing slightly. Ezra's hands were wrapped around her body, holding her tight against him as her fingers rested in his hair.

That night, both Aria and Ezra slept soundly for the first time since New York, both able to slip into a deep, dreamless slumber, wrapped in the arms of the person they cared about most in the world.

**5x01 though… just wow. Anyways, hope you guys liked this little one-shot! I will be updating my story (Ezria, Begin Again) soon, and might write another one-shot if you guys liked this one! Please review and let me know if you liked this, if you did I might start writing more of these (: **


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